


what it means to be living

by finkpishnets (orphan_account)



Series: Princess Niall [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-12
Updated: 2012-07-12
Packaged: 2017-11-09 19:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/457815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/finkpishnets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Key moments in Louis' life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what it means to be living

**Author's Note:**

> Comment!fic written for misprinting. Prequel to [Princess Niall and the Gift of True Love](http://archiveofourown.org/works/457813).

Louis is ten years old when he meets Harry, sitting on the grass by the lake, and for a moment he’s worried because his mum had _told_ him he wasn’t supposed to be around these parts, not when they were so close to someone else’s house and he still wasn’t big enough to run all that fast. The boy just looks up and smiles, though, waving Louis over, and Louis goes because the lake is _cool_ and because he doesn’t really know all that many kids to play with, not really. 

Harry is eight and has curly hair that Louis’ fascinated by and he’s _awesome_ , and when he ask Louis if he wants to be his boyfriend Louis says yes because he’s never been someone’s boyfriend before and it sounds like fun.

They spend the rest of the summer playing by the lake and it’s the best summer Louis’ ever had.

 

+

 

Louis is thirteen when his family moves across the country, and he stomps and cries and screams but there’s no changing their minds.

Harry wraps his arms around him and hugs him close and doesn’t let go until the horses begin to get restless.

“I’ll come see you,” Harry says, “when school gets out. I’ll come.”

“Promise?” Louis says, his voice choked with emotion.

“Promise,” Harry says, and Louis believes him.

 

+

 

Louis is fourteen when he sees Liam walking through the fields, a book between his fingers and his head in the clouds.

He doesn’t know the Payne family – they live a little too far out the way – but right then, in that moment, he wants to.

 

+

 

Louis is fifteen when Harry comes to stay, a nervous ball of thirteen-year-old energy and the excitement of being away from home for the entire summer. They laugh and hug and talk too quickly about things that aren’t important, and it’s a lot like old times until Liam coughs politely and leans forward to shake Harry’s hand, looking nervous but trying to hide it.

He sees Harry’s face fall a little but he brushes it off quickly enough and introduces himself, and Louis sees something flash across Liam’s face that he can’t identify.

The three of them spend the day wandering around town, making up stories about the people they pass, and it’s nice but Louis can’t help the ache that’s settled in his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he says when Liam’s gone home for dinner, head ducked in thought, and Harry shakes his head.

“It’s okay,” he says, and watched Liam walk away like maybe he understands.

 

+

 

Louis is eighteen and mostly happy, Liam’s fingers tangled with his as he talks about philosophy and astronomy and other things that Louis doesn’t understand.

He’s eighteen and mostly happy and so selfish he can barely stand himself.

 

+

 

Louis is nineteen and moving again, Liam’s look of confused betrayal still imprinted behind his eyes, the future no longer laid out in front of them.

He deserves more than Louis will ever be able to give him, deserves more than a small town life.

It’s for the best.

 

+

 

Louis is twenty and so lonely it _hurts_. 

 

+

 

Louis is twenty-one and standing in front of a boy with blonde hair and a tiara.

Life rewinds and starts again, a fresh start, maybe, _maybe_ \--


End file.
